Shower curtain unit for bath alcoves



Nov. 6, 1962 H, KELLQGG 3,062,280

SHOWER CURTAIN UNIT FOR BATH ALCOVES Filed April 11, 1958 BY dwmw United States Patent Oflfice 3,052,280 Patented Nov. 6, 1962 3,062,280 SHOWER CURTAIN UNIT FOR BATH ALCOVES Neal H. Kellogg, Dixon, Calif., assiguor to Kellogg & Burger, Sacramento, Calitl, a copartnership Filed Apr. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 727,851 2 Claims. (Cl. 160341) This invention relates in general to a shower curtain unit for bath alcoves, either of built-in bathtub or stall shower type, and particularly represents improvements over the unit shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,761,150.

The shower curtain unit includes a frame having a fixed end post, and an intermediate post slidable in the frame, with the flexible shower curtain spanning betweenand attached at its ends to-such posts.

One important object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, simplified, and yet extremely effective connection between each end edge of the shower curtain and the adjacent post; such connections facilitating initial attachment of the shower curtain in the unit, as well as permitting of easy removal of such curtain for replacement when necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shower curtain-to-post connection, as in the preceding paragraph, which embodies a relatively stiff but compressible bead secured toand extending in exposed relation along an end edge of-the shower curtain for the full height thereof, with the bead frictionally and tightly, but removably, engaged under compression in a laterally inwardly opening, vertical channel on the corresponding post.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement for securing the top rail of the frame to fixed end posts thereof, which permits said top rail to be initially cut to length on the job, and yet not thereafter requiring such top rail to be drilled for the reception of the screws employed to secure such parts together.

'It is also an object of the invention to provide a shower curtain unit, including the foregoing improvements, which is practical and reliable, and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, of the shower curtain unit as mounted in place in a bath alcove.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view, foreshortened, taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan View taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference thereon, the shower curtain unit comprises a frame, indicated generally at 1; such frame being upstanding, rectangular, and including end posts 2 and 3, a top rail 4, and a bottom rail 5.

The frame 1 is disposed in a bath alcove recess, indicated at 6; the recess here being above a built-in bathtub 7, with the frame 1 disposed so that the bottom rail rests on the outer rim of said bathtub.

The end posts 2 and 3 are secured to the adjacent walls 8 of the alcove 6 by screws, certain of which are indicated at 9; such end posts 2 and 3 being of laterally inwardly opening channel form, and each having a front flange 10 and a rear flange 11.

Intermediate the front flange 10 and rear flange 11, each of the end posts 2 and 3 includes a pair of vertical laterally inwardly projecting but relatively short flanges 12 disposed in transversely spaced relation; the purpose of the flanges 12 to hereinafter appear.

The top rail 4 projects at its ends into corresponding upper ends of the posts 2 and 3 in matching engagement; such top rail including a front flange 13, and a rear flange 14 corresponding to the flanges 10 and 11, respectively, of each post 2 and 3. The portion of each flange 10, which laps the adjacent portion of the front flange 13, is formed with a bore 15 which registers with a central longitudinal slot 16 extending horizontally in said front flange 13.

A headed self-threading screw 17 projects through each bore 15 and is threaded in securing relation through the adjacent slot 16 so that at the ends of the top rail 4 it is eflectively connected with the end posts 2 and 3.

The slots 16 are considerably elongated and extend some distance inwardly from the posts 2 and 3; this for the purpose of permitting the top rail to be cut down somewhat in length, by cutting off a section at each end thereof as may be necessary to fit between the posts 2 and 3, yet with the slots 16 continuing to register with the bores 15 for ready screw reception. This avoids the necessity of drilling each front flange 13 after the top rail 4 is cut to length.

The flanges 12 of each of the posts 2 and 3, terminate at their upper ends immediately below the top rail 4. Similarly, at their lower ends said flanges 12 terminate immediately above the bottom rail 5 and forrnin effect, with the related flanges 10 and 11saddles, one of which is shown at S, which engage the end portions of said bottom rail 5 to maintain the latter in place on the outer rim of the bathtub 7.

An intermediate post 18 extends between the top rail 4 and bottom rail 5 in horizontally slidable relation; upper end guides-shown in part at 19 and 20, respectively-extending into the top rail 4 and bottom rail 5. Between the top and bottom thereof the intermediate, horizontally slidable post 18 is fitted with inside and outside knobs 21 so that said post 18 can be easily manually slid back and forth.

A flexible shower curtain 22, preferably a plastic sheet, extends between the end post 2 and the intermediate, horizontally slidable post 18; being connected to such posts in the novel manner hereinafter described. At the top and bottom thereof the shower curtain 22 is guided, for folding and unfolding movement, by upper slides, shown in part at 23, running in the top rail 4, and lower slides, shown in part at 24, running in the bottom rail 5.

The shower curtain 22 is connected, at its end edges, to the posts 2 and 18 in the following manner:

The post 18 is formed with a vertical, full-height, laterally inwardly opening channel 25 which thus faces or opens toward-the vertical, laterally inwardly opening channel 26 defined by the flanges 12 of the end post 2. The end post 2 and the intermediate, horizontally slidable post 18 are thus each provided with a corresponding channel, but with said channels opposed.

A relatively stiff but compressible head 27 extends vertically beyond each end edge 28 of the shower curtain 22; such bead including an integral, laterally inwardly projecting web 29 which laps-and is electrically welded or otherwise adhered tosaid-end edge 28 of the shower curtain 22.

Each bead 27 is tubular, relatively thick-walled, and initially of an outside diameter slightly greater than the transverse extent or width of the related vertical channel 25 or 26; the bead being frictionally and tightly-but removably-engaged under compression in such channel.

With the beads 27 so engaged in the channels 25 and 26, the shower curtain is effectively connected at its ends to the posts 2 and 18. Not only can the beads 27 be initially readily engaged in the channels 25 and 26 at the time of assembly of the shower curtain unit, but subsequently can be readily removed should it be necessary to replace the shower curtain 22.

When the shower curtain unit is in use, the intermediate post 18 is slid to a closed position against the end post 3, and at which time the shower curtain 22 provides a complete closure at the front of the alcove 6. When said post 18 is in such closed position, the flanges 12 on the end post 3 project into a channel 30 in said post 18 to thus form an anti-splash seal.

While the general assembly of the shower curtain unit remains substantially the same as in the previously identified United States Letters Patent No. 2,761,150, the present invention does provide substantial improvements in the manner in which the top rail 4 is secured at its ends to the posts 2 and 18, and in the connections employed between the end edges of the shower curtain 22 and said posts 2 and 18.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a shower curtain unit as will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the shower curtain unit, still in practice such deviations therefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. In a shower curtain unit for a bathtub alcove, said unit including a frame having a fixed end post, a slidable intermediate post in the frame and a flexible shower curtain extending between said posts, the end post having side flanges to form a channel facing the intermediate post; a connection between said end post and the adjacent edge of the curtain, said connection comprising an enlarged compressible bead secured to and extending along said edge, and a pair of flanges, relatively short compared to the post flanges, projecting forwardly from the bottom of the post channel in spaced relation to the post flanges and to each other and providing a channel of a width less than that of the bead and into which the latter is pressed in frictional holding and water-tight relation.

2. In a shower curtain unit for a bath alcove and which unit includes a frame having a fixed end post, a slidable intermediate post in the frame, and a flexible shower curtain extending between the posts; a connection between each post and the adjacent edge of the curtain comprising an exposed bead of relatively stiff but compressible material extending along and secured to said edge, and a full-height channel formed in the post and opening toward the curtain to receive the bead; the channel being of a width smaller than the uncompressed width of the bead whereby said bead when in the channel will be under compression and in frictional holding engagement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,120,686 Burrowes Dec. 15, 1914 1,671,224 Buccini May 29, 1928 2,049,061 Hoegger July 28, 1936 2,104,261 Landau Jan. 4, 1938 2,159,403 Rivard May 23, 1939 2,350,235 Johnson May 30, 1944 2,533,216 Bixer Dec. 12, 1950 2,546,438 Grabil Mar. 27, 1951 2,620,027 Eisenberg Dec. 2, 1952 2,731,118 Nasmyth Jan. 17, 1956 2,761,150 Kellogg Sept. 4, 1956 2,781,112 Fischer Feb. 12, 1957 

